Ceremonial
by Ingredient X
Summary: He was supposed to have the river to himself. He really didn't want to listen to another of Piers horrid lectures about life's meaning. And there was no way the old man could find him. NewGen.


**AN**: Since I've always been a faithful Valeshipper, and well. They just announced the new GSDS. I can hope, right?

The boy tugged on his shirt. It was too big. And hell if it didn't itch way more than it should. His dad kept telling him he'd grow into it eventually, but he didn't get it. Why couldn't he get a shirt that could fit now? He kicked a few pebbles off of his overused boots. He'd definitely grown into those.

One pebble clung to a patchwork job he'd done himself. Irritably, he tried to knock it off, but it wouldn't move. Looking around behind the fencing of the river where he sat, he made sure no one was watching before he lifted a hand to force the pebble off. Blue sparks flew after it as it plunged into New Vale's calm river. He almost felt bad for disturbing the water. Almost.

He wasn't even supposed to be at the riverside. Some silly superstition of the villagers. Something about a floating boulder, a rope, and a blue elf. He didn't get it. The river looked harmless enough to him. Besides, it was great for avoiding Piers and one of his many ridiculously long lectures. Maybe he'd try to convince him he was something special again. The old man was nutters. He'd said today was a special occasion, but then, "every day is a special occasion when you're living on the edge of the world". Bloody nut.

"You know, I thought I felt a disturbance in the river."

The boy jumped about a mile high. How did he know he was here? No one could've seen him do that. Psynergy was strictly regulated ever since the lighthouses were lit. Besides, how could a seventy-something year old man possibly have any training in psynergy? Pffah. He couldn't know.

"I didn't do anything." The kid said flippantly, staring right back at the white haired man across the river. "'Sides. The river's harmless. See?"

He kicked it to prove his point. Piers frowned and said nothing. "Why haven't you stopped by my house yet?"

The old man looked like a kicked puppy. Big blue eyes that were almost on the verge of tears and everything. The boy felt a pang of guilt and couldn't bring himself to go on with his original conviction to tell him he'd rather suffer death by the mythical Star Magician than listen to another one of his lectures. He avoided eye contact and tried, "I uh… I just… I haven't gotten around to it."

"Doesn't matter," Piers chirped, puppy eyes gone. "The river's more suitable for what I had in mind at any rate. Just don't let your father know we were here, alright?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." The poor blonde looked away at the fence to find possible escape routes. He hadn't planned on that one.

"Now I know this may come as a surprise to you," Piers started, but the kid wasn't listening. He could scale the gate. But that'd take time, and he'd need a head start. The old man was faster than he looked. "But this old man knows a little psynergy."

"Uh-huh," he waved at him absently. Maybe if he purposefully fell in the river? Then he'd have to get changed. He started nonchalantly slipping towards it and felt his foot meet with solid ground. Cold, solid ground.

"Careful, there. Don't want you to get wet before the ceremony." Piers said cheerfully. The boy tapped his foot once or twice to hear the clink before turning around to look. The river surface was definitely frozen. The kid just gaped. It couldn't have been…

"Come on, then. It's solid. You can stand on it. I haven't got infinite psynergy, you know. Don't take your time." Piers sounded impatient. Carefully, and without ever taking his eyes off the glassy surface of the river, the blonde boy pushed himself upright onto the river.

"How—"

"Now then. This is for you. From your father. Well, really, your father's, father's, father's, father. Isaac." Piers proudly draped a worn yellow scarf around the boy's neck. The boy looked up. There was no doubt. Piers had the faint glow that psynergy gave off. But, he couldn't possibly mean…

"Isaac? As in…?"

"I knew him well. He was a brave man." Piers smiled a little. The moment was short, though. Piers' smile abruptly turned into a disapproving frown. He shooed the kid backwards. The poor kid shuffled and fell on his rump. "Now, what did I tell you? Off the ice! I'm old! I can't keep this thing permanently frozen!"

Scrambling up, the boy looked at his scarf in awe. This was the scarf of Isaac. _The_ Isaac. And it was his scarf! He had so many questions, but Piers was already hobbling his way back to his house. Swinging the scarf around his neck and jumping the fence, the boy shouted out. "Piers! Stop! Piers, _wait_! How did you know him?"

Piers turned around with a sly smile. "Oh, so _now_ you want to hear my lectures?"

**AN:** Gods I'm rusty. Review if you feel like it. I dislike begging.


End file.
